QuoteReplyTopic: The get in better shape thread 01/15 to 06/15 Posted: Jun/18/2009 at 9:25am

Alright folks it is time to get in better shape. We are going to use this thread to state your goals, workout routines, supplements, diet etc.... We will track our results and post them up every few weeks or whenever you like. I am going to sticky this so it doesn't go into hiding and everyone forgets their goals.

I just had a fitment assessment yesterday and I am currently at 20% body fat. My goal over the next 6 months (hopefully sooner) is to get down to 10% body fat. Currently I am lifting 4-5 days a week and doing cardio 1-3 days a week. My cardio has consisted of a running program called couch to 5k and I take a spin class every Friday. Don't knock spin class if you have never tried it. You burn ~1000 calories in an hour. I have PT session either today or tomorrow to get a new program to help me achieve my goal of 10% body fat.

So feel free to post up your goals and what not. I will make a new one of these threads every 6 months. Feel free to post pictures of your progress or whatever.

i hope to lose 15 lbs by next year. i'm currently at 165 and my old in-shape weight was 150 in high school. i lift 2-3 times a week and do cardio just as much. i also am as active as possible this summer and walk everywhere when it's reasonable. if you really wanna get in good shape play 3 hours of full court basketball every other day.

Bru, what do you use to time yourself during the couch to 5K. I've been interested in that program for awhile, but i dont want to constantly be looking at my watch every minute to make sure im doing the times right.

Pretty much immediately after moving to CO, I started working out with
Bru at the gym. I was also lifting 4 days and doing cardio 3 days (the
couch to 5k program). I've been in terrible shape for far too long, so
I decided that with the change of venue and job, now was as good a time
as any to fix the situation.

I did a fitness assessment last week and found out I'm around 34% body fat.
I signed up to do 2 30 minute sessions a week with a PT for 12 weeks.
The primary goal of the next 3 months is to get that fat % down to at
least 20% if not lower. After the 12 weeks, I may continue the PT
sessions but bump them to an hour 2x a week.

My first session was this past Monday. We chatted about what my goals
were and did a fitness test to get a baseline for comparison down the
road. The second session was Tuesday, and I'm still a bit sore. The
PT I'm working with absolutely kicked my ass in less than 30 mins.

Going forward, I'll be doing lunch time PT sessions on Mon/Wed and
Tue/Thu/Fri will be a combo of lighter-weight/higher-rep resistance
work (eventually getting to 6 days a week of lifting) and cardio. I'll
probably continue the couch to 5k program, but I'll be adding in the
Friday spin class starting tomorrow.

I don't know that I'll be posting any progress pictures right away,
I'll definitely be taking some along the way. Maybe I'll do some
before/in-progress/after stuff starting at the 30 day mark.

Unlike you guys, i'm probably 0% fat. I can't gain weight no matter how I try. However, I've been doing the Home Gym thing on youtube, just because I have time off school now. At least I hope I can gain some muscles.

Its your diet. Trust me on this one. I was a string bean for a long time and put on 50 pounds of muscle over six months. I previously thought that I ate a tone of food, then I started working out with a friend who was a body builder. I soon found out what his definition of eating enough was, and it was drastically different than mine, like 6,000 calorie a day type stuff.

In the end, I packed on a ton of weight because of it. I use to be 5'11" and 135, and got to 185.

I have dropped from that level quite a bit the past three years as I don't lift, or eat enough at all, I might have even dropped below 160 for the first time in forever. I gotta go weigh myself today.

Unlike you guys, i'm probably 0% fat. I can't gain weight no matter how I try. However, I've been doing the Home Gym thing on youtube, just because I have time off school now. At least I hope I can gain some muscles.

I have always been the same way. If you want to gain muscle you have to increase your calorie intake and try to eat about 1g of protein per lb. of body weight per day. For example, if you weigh 150 lbs., you should try to eat atleast 150 grams of protein per day.

Its your diet. Trust me on this one. I was a string bean for a long time and put on 50 pounds of muscle over six months. I previously thought that I ate a tone of food, then I started working out with a friend who was a body builder. I soon found out what his definition of eating enough was, and it was drastically different than mine, like 6,000 calorie a day type stuff.

In the end, I packed on a ton of weight because of it. I use to be 5'11" and 135, and got to 185.

I have dropped from that level quite a bit the past three years as I don't lift, or eat enough at all, I might have even dropped below 160 for the first time in forever. I gotta go weigh myself today.

Hmm. Do you have any examples of foods you ate? I'm guessing it was a bunch of meats and protein?

Unlike you guys, i'm probably 0% fat. I can't gain weight no matter how I try. However, I've been doing the Home Gym thing on youtube, just because I have time off school now. At least I hope I can gain some muscles.

Ahhh, I used to be like that. Then I graduated college, moved to Vermont and gained 70 pounds. I really let myself go in my 20's and started having back problems. I just lost a little more than half of that weight since last year. I've made it my goal to make it so I can ride all day on a powder day, paddle all day when the surf is good and be able to hike a great distance in challenging conditions. I also eat a lot healthier. I don't buy snack foods when I shop and eat a lot of fresh vegetables and non-processed foods.I hate the gym. I never go there. My excercise consists of snowboarding, hiking, wakesurfing/wakeboarding, surfing and paddling.Since I've started doing all of this on a more regular basis (I never really stopped doing any of these things, just did a lot less.) I've lost weight. It was kind of funny, when I first started my routine, I gained weight for the first couple of weeks, but my pants weren't fitting as well.

Its your diet. Trust me on this one. I was a string bean for a long time and put on 50 pounds of muscle over six months. I previously thought that I ate a tone of food, then I started working out with a friend who was a body builder. I soon found out what his definition of eating enough was, and it was drastically different than mine, like 6,000 calorie a day type stuff.

In the end, I packed on a ton of weight because of it. I use to be 5'11" and 135, and got to 185.

I have dropped from that level quite a bit the past three years as I don't lift, or eat enough at all, I might have even dropped below 160 for the first time in forever. I gotta go weigh myself today.

Hmm. Do you have any examples of foods you ate? I'm guessing it was a bunch of meats and protein?

Haha? You really want to know what my diet was like at the time?

I generall ate two or three steaks a day, two foot long subs, a ton of chicken breasts, eggs, really lean hamburgers etc and weight gainer shakes that were about 1200 calories a serving. Damn near a gallon of milk a day.

tons of carbs, protein and calories, as little fat as possible outside of some flax seed oil and the whole milk.

Pretty much ate nearly a full meal every two hours. I was also lifting six days a week and still playing basketball for several hours at a time. What is really funny is that after about a week of that, your body gets used to it, and you are starving all the time. Oh, and I drank 128 ounces of water a day.

Well, I really want to get in better shape and loose about 15 to 20 pounds....my problem is motivation...I can't seem to keep it up. I was thinking about getting an anytime fitness membership, there is one right down the street so I wouldn't even drive to it, and I could go at any time, like say, middle of the night when I'm restless....

I want to get my legs, abs and arms in better shape, so I'll probably start with lunges, bridges, pushups, sitting against the wall, that sort of thing, and jogging this one road that loops around where I live, just gotta get up and go do it! I hate the idea of someone seeing me out there running alongside the road....I'm too damn self conscience...anywho...I'd really like to get to my ideal body type by the start of the season, or half way through, I think I could do a lot more things if my legs and abs were stronger, like get higher ollies and such...

Its actually not that expensive at all really, I think i figured it out at around 20 bucks. Buy the steaks at costco really cheap. Make sure they are lean. Chicken, buy in bulk from the meat market etc. Really no worse than eating three meals a day assuming you eat out for at least one of them.

Don't do this if you aren't working out though, keep in mind, I was hitting the gym like a maniac at the time (probably too much, but I was trying to keep up with the bodybuilder dude who made me puke every workout). If you eat that much and are lazy, you will pack on fat like you wouldn't believe.

Adjust according to your activity schedule though. I think normal people are supposed to eat 2,000 calories a day, if you are bulking up, you want to get in 3,000 to 3,500. Take a pen and paper with you and actually write down what you eat for a week. You will find that most people are around 1600-1800 calories a day.

That's the exact reason it's best to work out with a buddy or a PT. It's way too easy to give up before you've even pushed yourself when you're alone. You do some reps and think, "hm, yeah, that's enough."

Well, I really want to get in better shape and loose about 15 to 20 pounds....my problem is motivation...I can't seem to keep it up. I was thinking about getting an anytime fitness membership, there is one right down the street so I wouldn't even drive to it, and I could go at any time, like say, middle of the night when I'm restless....

I want to get my legs, abs and arms in better shape, so I'll probably start with lunges, bridges, pushups, sitting against the wall, that sort of thing, and jogging this one road that loops around where I live, just gotta get up and go do it! I hate the idea of someone seeing me out there running alongside the road....I'm too damn self conscience...anywho...I'd really like to get to my ideal body type by the start of the season, or half way through, I think I could do a lot more things if my legs and abs were stronger, like get higher ollies and such...

The first time I lifted weights, I could only bench the bar with 5 pound weights on either end of it. Most people at gyms won't make fun of you for stuff like this, they will usually encourage you, runners as well.

That's the exact reason it's best to work out with a buddy or a PT. It's way too easy to give up before you've even pushed yourself when you're alone. You do some reps and think, "hm, yeah, that's enough."

If you can't afford a PT, find a friend to go with.

Personally, I think you have to find something that you like to do and do it. When you start to do it regularly you almost get addicted. It is the same with eating healthy.

Well, I really want to get in better shape and loose about 15 to 20 pounds....my problem is motivation...I can't seem to keep it up. I was thinking about getting an anytime fitness membership, there is one right down the street so I wouldn't even drive to it, and I could go at any time, like say, middle of the night when I'm restless....

I want to get my legs, abs and arms in better shape, so I'll probably start with lunges, bridges, pushups, sitting against the wall, that sort of thing, and jogging this one road that loops around where I live, just gotta get up and go do it! I hate the idea of someone seeing me out there running alongside the road....I'm too damn self conscience...anywho...I'd really like to get to my ideal body type by the start of the season, or half way through, I think I could do a lot more things if my legs and abs were stronger, like get higher ollies and such...

it would be cheaper to get a dumbbell set if that's all you're going to do. only get a gym membership if you plan on doing more lifting than that.

Even if you get a gym membership, dumbells is really all you want to mess with anyway. Skip the machines. Do free weights and take whatever classes interest you.

Oh and fellas, dont skip out on Yoga and Pillotes. Not only are there hot chicks, but it really helps out in all facets of fitness.

for you ladies, it tightens your...well...i think you know. that's a fact. you have to do the right kind of yoga/pilates though.

for guys, if it nothing else appeals to you when it comes to yoga, it can increase your height up to 2 inches. that's also a fact. it stretches out your spine and joints. the only reason i don't do it is because i don't have time for it. i do a lot of regular stretching though. also, try partner stretching. you'll feel it a lot more and you'll get a much greater gain from it.

I don't really need to loose weight, I just need to gain muscle, which is hard to do cause I'm vegetarian. So I'm pretty much living on protein shakes.

But also to get more energy flowing through my body I've started doing cross country running with my girlfriend. I was hampered by lack of stamina last season and I'm hoping to resolve that for this one.

And what yoga does for you body is remarkable, the only thing is its pretty time consuming

I'm riding my fixed gear bike on a regular basis. I'm trying to get in shape so I can start racing on a track. There's also a group of people that play bike polo in a nearby park, so I think I'm going to start participating in that as a hobby that gets the heart rate up.

I don't need to lose weight...I'm a twig. But building some endurance and muscle will be nice.

I had a health evaluation at work a couple months ago, and the doctors couldn't measure my body fat cause it's obnoxiously low (<4%). Basically, a strong wind can blow me into the next state.

its all really about your eating habits and how active you really are. shakas diet is only gonna work if you work as hard as shaka does. and sorry to tell you this you can no longer keep the following items in your house:chips, cookies, sodas, candies, chocolates, ice cream .... all that good stuff will tempt the crap out of you and trust me you will give in. if you dont have them you wont eat them.

ive been a swimmer for the past eight or nine years and that is what i swear by

ooh and if you really want to have a flat stomach two things. one, somewhere floating on the internet is an old 8min abs video that looks like its filmed in the early 90's. find that download that and do it! the second thing i know is blasphemous but it is a must (unless youre just a freak of nature) you need to give up beer. its too many empty calories and when you get drinking YOU DRINK. that is why i can never have a six pack

its all really about your eating habits and how active you really are. shakas diet is only gonna work if you work as hard as shaka does. and sorry to tell you this you can no longer keep the following items in your house:chips, cookies, sodas, candies, chocolates, ice cream .... all that good stuff will tempt the crap out of you and trust me you will give in. if you dont have them you wont eat them.

ive been a swimmer for the past eight or nine years and that is what i swear by

ooh and if you really want to have a flat stomach two things. one, somewhere floating on the internet is an old 8min abs video that looks like its filmed in the early 90's. find that download that and do it! the second thing i know is blasphemous but it is a must (unless youre just a freak of nature) you need to give up beer. its too many empty calories and when you get drinking YOU DRINK. that is why i can never have a six pack

Bold part needs to be re-enforced. If you aren't working your ass off in the gym, don't go trying to eat 5,000 calories a day because you are a twig and thing just eating more will get you muscle. All that will happen is you will get fat, and skinny people who are fat just don't look right. Trust me, I have a gut growing right now and I'm skinny.

I don't know, I think the best and most permanent progress happens when you make a series of gradual improvements. If you have crappy eating habits, first try to make them less crappy instead of going directly to some ascetic celery-and-water diet. Jumping into dramatic changes usually leads to 2-3 weeks of progress and then giving up.

As far as exercise programs go, I had great results with the Bill Starr 5x5 workout. I like that, like the couch-to-5k, it provides goals over time to work towards. They even have an excel weight calculator to help plan your targets based on much you're currently capable of lifting.

Funny thing about the beer too; since I've started to lose weight I haven't stopped drinking it entirely, but I've really cut back and gotten very snobby over what I'll have now.

the second thing i know is blasphemous but it is a must (unless youre just a freak of nature) you need to give up beer. its too many empty calories and when you get drinking YOU DRINK. that is why i can never have a six pack

You still have to live. I'll never give up bread or beer. However, I do drink a lot less now than I used to.

10min rowing machine (5min over-hand 5min under-hand) I would like to do more than 10mins. first time I used the rowing machine I was POOPED. I could probably go longer now, but I'm already at the gym for like an hour... 10mins rowing seems to be working better than 10mins running, or even 30 mins running.stretch - can ppl suggest some good stretches? Im always at a loss of things to help stretch...Side bends 22.5lbs (20x2)Crunch machine 75lbs (12x3)sit ups - as many as I can do(everything from here down is 2 sets of 12)hammer curls sadly I only use 10lbs hahaFront Lat Pulldown 60lbsseated bench press 45lbsI do shoulders too, triceps & forearms, I just don't know the names for these and some of the other free weight exercises I do.leg curl 45lbsleg extension 50lbsleg press 155lbship adductor 70lbship abductor 80lbskick backs 30lbssquats 12lb bar (new)

I think I've missed some,I need to find a lower ab workout that I like.

My goal isn't to loose weight, I just want to be healthy, fit & reap the benefits of working out.

Yeah this thread is to help us all stay motivated. Just try and set goals that push you, but are attainable. If you have never bench pressed before please don't make your goal to bench 400lbs in the next 6 months.

10min rowing machine (5min over-hand 5min under-hand) I would like to do more than 10mins. first time I used the rowing machine I was POOPED. I could probably go longer now, but I'm already at the gym for like an hour... 10mins rowing seems to be working better than 10mins running, or even 30 mins running.stretch - *1)can ppl suggest some good stretches? Im always at a loss of things to help stretch...Side bends 22.5lbs (20x2)Crunch machine 75lbs (12x3)sit ups - as many as I can do(everything from here down is 2 sets of 12)hammer curls sadly I only use 10lbs hahaFront Lat Pulldown 60lbsseated bench press 45lbsI do shoulders too, triceps & forearms, I just don't know the names for these and some of the other free weight exercises I do.leg curl 45lbsleg extension 50lbsleg press 155lbship adductor 70lbship abductor 80lbskick backs 30lbssquats 12lb bar (new)

I think I've missed some,*2)I need to find a lower ab workout that I like.

My goal isn't to loose weight, I just want to be healthy, fit & reap the benefits of working out.

1. for snowboarding you want to make sure you stretch your legs obviously, but also your hips. unfortunately if you want a really good hip stretch, you need a partner. there's not a whole lot you can do for your hips without a partner, to get a really good stretch anyway.

2. have you tried hanging leg raises? i like those for lower abs. does a really good job of working them too.

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